Yuma is now a finalist to receive up to $160 million from the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines program. This money could help create a spaceport in Yuma, bringing thousands of jobs and boosting Arizona’s economy by billions.
If Yuma is chosen, the funding could make it a key player in national security and reduce launch costs compared to other locations on the coast.
The spaceport would also give the city a chance to be part of the growing satellite communications industry. Over the next 10 years, the NSF funds would also help develop eco-friendly technologies for space travel.
Yuma, representing the Southwest Regional Aerospace Innovation Alliance, is one of two finalists from Arizona out of 71 applicants. The other finalist is the University of Arizona, which plans to make the state a leader in new mining technologies.